Today is Day 6 for ROW80, the writing challenge that knows you have a life. 74 days of magic scribbling are still ahead in Round 1, 2012. For those of you who are new at this, how are you feeling at the end of your first week?

I remember being so inspired by everyone’s check-in posts during my first round…all these crazy writers clawing up the hill of their goals. It’s AWESOME! (A few rounds later, it’s still awe-inspiring.)

Hopefully, it’s not just us sponsors who go blog-hopping around. If you’d like to encourage your ROW80 teammates, click here.

REMINDER: You can ask any sponsor if you have questions – if you don’t feel comfortable leaving a comment here, tag me on Twitter @jhansenwrites.

Week 1 Update

This has been a crazy week at work so it’s been light on writing goals, but here’s where I’m at with my four goals in general:

Get at least one exercise accountability partner for this round. (3+ if lucky)
Marcia Richards, Barbara McDowell and Lena Corazon all offered their services on this one so I feel blessed. I haven’t taken them up on it yet, but I will this week. If you ladies are reading this blog, how should we check in with each other? Twitter??

ROCK my ROW80 Sponsorship duties!
My “go team” post is slated to post tomorrow but I’ve visited all of my team members on each check-in opportunities. I will confess…after the first day of check-in I tapered off. The straggler check-ins did not get a visit from me cause I was in full database mode by then, but I got into the 70’s.

No matter how many word sprints I engage in each week, at least TWO must be dedicated to my work in progress. This wasn’t applicable this week as there have been NO sprints. I reached out to my pal, K.B. Owen for but she is sick-sick-sick right now and wisely stayed in bed. I wrote every day, but I’m not counting blogs this round so I’m batting zilch on this goal.

That being said, my goal is at least 4 times sprints per week. ZERO sprints here at Jenny’s place. I’ll do better by next check-in…promise.

56 Responses to One Week in the Bag For #ROW80: Jan 8th Check-in

Yes, I’m definitely in for some exercise-buddy accountability! I have absolutely nothing to my name at the moment, and I need to get my buns in gear — my mother is giving me the gimlet eye for slacking off, and once I get back to school, I won’t have her around to force me onto the glider. Oh, and Twitter works for me!

I am also sorely in need of some word sprintage, so maybe by the weekend I’ll be ready to go. I’ve got a clear schedule this quarter (I’m only on-campus Wednesday afternoons-nights), so I will hopefully be able to get lots done.

Twitter it is. We’ll have to figure out the best way – checking in before/after…or Dear God, BOTH. My best sprint times are Wed all day, Thurs/Fri middle of the day during baby naps or weekends. Just let me know what works best for you. 🙂

Really great goals, Jenny! And you’re a sponsor, too. Not to mention a new mom (loved the blog about baby advice!). If you’re up for an other exercise accountability buddy, I might be up for the challenge. Been trying to get back to the pool at least three days a week. So far, no good. 🙂

LOL, Kristy…I’m glad you liked the baby blog – we do that every Saturday. I’m in for all the exercise help I can get. 20 pound needs to leave me sooner, rather than later. It just doesn’t come off as easily now that I’m in my 40’s.

You and me both, Jenny! I’m fighting an uphill battle having been diagnosed with hypothyroidism, metabolic syndrome and PCOS in 2010. The pounds I want off seem to be super glued on…but I am stubborn and enjoy a good challenge. 🙂

Helo fellow ROW80 sponsor! You’re doing pretty dang good so far, getting into the groove. I’m also finding my footing this past week. I should add exercise goals by I’m 100% sure I would miss on those every week so you go girls!

Hello – I’m new around these parts- and ROW80- so glad to meet sponsor. Sounds like you’ve had a week like mine. To busy to thoroughly rock those goals. I made a limp start but I did do loads of other things so its certainly not like I’ve been sitting on my jack the whole time. 🙂 X

Enter the kid with the wonky hair and papers falling from her overstuffed and under-organized three ring binder. She DOES have “I heart Row 80” on the brown-paper-sack binder cover. Indelible ink. I’m committed. I have questions:

1. Who IS my Row 80 sponsor? Nicole? Cowbell Ringer Jenny Hansen?
2. Kari’s comment about adding goals to the #ROW 80 blog suggests there’s a super special secret spot in BlogVille for the #ROW80 meetings. I plan to add a tab to my blog this morning and use that link for check-ins. Is that the right way?

1. We are all your sponsors – any sponsor is open game. We each have a number and we cheer on anyone who checks in and gets that number – we end up visiting everyone by the end of the round. Plus, you can ask us stuff like this at any time.

Sprinting is when you time your writing – it’s really fun to go on Twitter and line up a word sprint with whoever is available so you all are writing at the same time. Then everyone goes back and says 200 words, 600 words, 480, etc. It’s very exciting to see how many words you can get out. ROW80 is a good spot for this and #wordmongering does it at the top of every hour and at 30 minutes after all day long.

So what times are you available for sprints. Not saying the timing will work out but I’d be happy to team up with you on those. I’m handling my writing goal basically in non-official sprints. Let me know. Kudos, by the way, on finding a few exercise partners. It makes all the difference.

Hope your coming week is a bit calmer on the job end so you can get some work done 🙂

I’m medium on the job end but the next week is nuts because I’m getting my second eye surgery. I’ll be able to see afterward, but I’m going to be off anything requiring an eye for 24 hours. I’m missing my first Life List Friday…wah!!!

My very good week of progress is up, just have to go link it. You did really well despite your crazy week! Congrats!
Re the exercise, I have a # on Twitter for it. We can meet there at #2012healthchallenge. Sound good? Everyone interested is certainly welcome…the more the merrier!

VERY COOL!! I’ve got to go check out that hashtag tonight and tell y’all about my walk! I’m going to try to walk every day this week until my surgery on Thursday. After that, there’s no sweating for two whole weeks…

I love the idea of the exercise buddy accountability. That helps so much! My hubby and I are both trying to exercise more and eat better, so I’m thankful for his support. I would love to join the #2012healthchallenge, too. Great idea, Marcia.

And sprints sound great, just tell me when and where. Good luck this week, Jenny. Hopefully things slow down at work for you and you can settle into writing.

well if someone who doesn’t do well in the exercise stakes due to bad ankles(damaged) knees, a lousy immune system, way too many ops and rapidly advancing years – whose highlights are managing the stairs without using hands and who thinks 15mins on a step machine and acheivement (oh I forgot is grossly overweight!!) would be allowed to join in I’d love to – prob wouldnt keep to exercise goals without a bit of prodding – a twitter tag maybe my help and salvation:)
well done on new mum bit and all the best for this coming week

Hey, considering the EDJ priorities it sounds like you still had a good week 🙂 It was a pretty good first week for me. As for sprints, most weekday afternoons between 1:30 and 3:30 PT are good for me, drop me an email when you’re up for one.

1. If you click on the title of a post you like and then go up to the address bar at the top (where all the http://jennyhansen business is) and click on that, it turns blue. You right click and choose Copy.

2. Go to your new Add Post screen and highlight the words you want to add a link to, Sheila probably did my name. (If you look at my post above, I linked to the ROW80 blog in the first paragraph, the Linky tool for this ROW80 check-in at the end of the 3rd paragraph and my Twitter profile at the end of the 4th paragraph.)

3. Once you’ve highlighted the words you want to link to, you click the icon in the Add Post toolbar that looks like a link in a chain. That will open the hyperlink window.

4. Right click and choose paste in that first line and be sure to check the box below that that says “open in new window” so the person doesn’t leave your post when they click the link.

When you post that blog, a pingback goes to the person you linked to. That adds what you see in my comments section from Sheila (once I approve it) and makes it easy for people to go from my blog to your blog. Voila!!

Having accountability partners is a great idea! Just getting this done is a great accomplishment for the week.
Thank you for being a sponsor. I imagine many of us first-timers get discouraged along the way. Your support is invaluable.

Am plugging along. The word count barely makes it. Taking small bites instead of gulps. The story is at a point that I’ve got to be careful. If I follow my lizard brain the story may turn into a parody instead of a period piece. If the artist takes over we’ll be waiting months before anything happens. I learning that you can only throw so much crap at your main character. Don’t have anyone that writes so I’m going it alone.

Great week Jenny especially given the huge workload you had going. It’s hard when work blows up to balance everything else so woot woot to you!
My week went great. Lots of progress and a great word count. Hubby and I also really nailed switching over to the healthier lifestyle with no eating out, working out, and adopting healthier food at home. I hope that I can maintain the momentum and motivation going forward. LOL!!
I’m all about exercise accountability if you want to add me to the list of partners, I’d love the additional check-in as well.
Happy week two!

Hey, Jenny, good progress! Sorry I let you down with the word sprints. I’ll bet I can do a few sprints this week. (Exercise? maybe not yet). I’m free 10-2pm EST generally speaking. Give me a buzz ahead of time so we can set something up!

Geesh. You’re SICK! You didn’t let me down. We’ll get after it next week. It sounds like your last hour is the beginning of my happy nap time and Raelyn’s hours fit into the end of them. We’re gonna have a good time together!!!

Ooo, ooo, ooo! Do you see me jumping up and down, waving my hand for a word sprint? Would love to finally do one virtually. I’ve done some at workshops and it is amazing what can come out. Weekends usually work best for me. Hey, do I get exercise credit for the jumping? Heh. 🙂 Twitter works in terms of checking in with each other on exercise goals. And great job on your goals progress and sponsor work.

I am so glad exercise is on my goal list and with everyone knowing about it it is so much more likely to happen! Great idea to have exercise buddies. I hope to have a couple of ‘not online’ ones soon!
Have a great week!

I joined ChangeWriteNow for exercise this year and having accountability partners is a big part of it. Very important and helps with the motivation. You are doing great. I’m in the midst of editing right now but missing that free flowing free writing. Brainstorming some ideas just so I can get some writing time in during the mornings.